


What's worse than a first date?

by inkinmyheartandonthepage



Series: We Forgot Peter [27]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, First Dates, Gen, Michelle Jones Is a Good Bro, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Misunderstandings, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Parent Tony Stark, Parker Luck, Peter Parker Feels, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, missed calls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:53:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28162740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkinmyheartandonthepage/pseuds/inkinmyheartandonthepage
Summary: What was worse than a first date with a girl you really liked? That girl not even showing up.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: We Forgot Peter [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891810
Comments: 69
Kudos: 859





	What's worse than a first date?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> It feels so good to be back! Thank you all so much for all the love you gave the last instalment! It makes me so happy to see so many of you enjoying this series! I can't thank you enough for all the support you have given this story! 
> 
> PROMPTS ARE OPEN! I am once again taking prompts but please note that I am only taking prompts that are for THIS SERIES! So any prompts that fit into the We Forgot Peter series I will be doing. General prompts will not be included sorry! 
> 
> This prompt was from SuicidalPony1234 on A03- Can you do one where Peter and MJ have a date and Tony drives Peter and Peter shows up but MJ isn’t there and forgot to tell him because she had a dance recital or something???
> 
> I hope you enjoy and apologies for any mistakes!

What was worse than a first date with a girl you really liked? That girl not even showing up.

Peter had taken weeks to pluck up the courage to ask out MJ. After his disastrous first attempt of dating with Liz, Peter had firmly been put off dating anyone in the near future. That was until MJ had taken over Decathlon and they had ended up spending many Thursday afternoon together and Peter got to know MJ better. The spark of feeling he had felt with Liz had returned, only this time it was MJ he found himself staring at in class and in the cafeteria while she read or sketched.

Ned had been entirely unsympathetic as he worked on his own crush on Betty Brant. The two had made a pact that by the end of the week, they would ask both girls out. Peter’s nerves had been shot to hell and one embarrassing, rambling, getting so off-topic he struggled to get back to his original point, he asked MJ out on a date.

Surprisingly, said yes.

“Pick me up on Friday. We’ll go to a movie,” MJ lightly punched him on the shoulder before she disappeared down the hallway leaving Peter standing there dumbfounded long after the bell had rung.

When Peter had been able to move again (narrowly missing out on a detention for being late) he had excitedly texted Ned under the table who gave him a bright grin and a thumbs up. When the final bell rang for the end of the day, Peter was so ecstatic that he rushed home to tell May, failing to see that Tony Stark was sitting on his couch and has heard the whole thing.

“Way to go, kiddo,” Tony smirked as Peter moaned loudly into his hands, feeling his cheeks burning fire-truck red.

“When and where are you taking her?” May asked as he patted his head when he slumped on the couch between them.

“Movies on Friday night,” Peter blew out a breath.

“Perfect. Tony can drop you off and pick you up,” May smiled.

“What!” Peter yelped, looking between the two adults with wide frantic eyes.

“Uh, yeah, what?” Tony asked, looking at May with his eyebrows raised, looking just as bewildered as Peter.

“I have to work Friday night so you will have to take Peter,” May explained gently.

Tony’s face morphed into a grin. “I think I can handle that.”

“May, noooo,” Peter whined, tugging on her arm. “He’ll embarrass me!”

“Remember the days when you were too nervous to sass me,” Tony reminisced. “I miss those days.” 

“Tony embarrasses himself anywhere he goes,” May shot Tony a smug grin over the top of Peter’s head. “This won’t be any different.”

“Rude,” Tony scoffed. “I don’t _embarrass_ anyone. Only Rhodey when the occasion calls for it. Look kid, I promise to be on my best behaviour. No shenanigans of any kind. I’ll be the perfect wing man.”

“Do I need a wing man if I already have the date?” Peter asked curiously.

“You always need a wing man and you, Peter, are very lucky to have me,” Tony winked.

When Friday rolled around, Peter found himself in the front seat of one of Tony’s very expensive cars, nervously folding his hands over and over in his lap.

“Relax, kid,” Tony chuckled as he looked at Peter out of the corner of his eye.

Peter let out a nervous breath. “I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize kid. First dates are always the toughest,” Tony assured him. “You’ll be fine. Hard part is already over.”

“Doesn’t feel like it,” Peter slouched in the seat. “What was I thinking! My last date ended with me battling her dad and sending him to jail.”

“The odds of that happening a second time kiddo are very slim,” Tony assured him.

“It could happen,” Peter sulked. “Parker Luck.”

“Parker what?” Tony asked curiously.

“Parker Luck,” Peter sighed. “That’s what the kids at school call it. Bad stuff always happens to me. Parker Luck.”

Tony’s chest tightened as he let Peter’s words sink in. He was going to have to touch base on that one again but not tonight. The kid was nervous enough as it was, and Tony needed to have this talk when his chest wasn’t feeling like he was about to have an emotional heart attack at how much his kid had been through. 

“The first time I kissed Pepper, we were on a rooftop, after the Stark Expo we-will-never-speak-of-again and a bunch of explosions were going off in the background and Rhodey said we looked like two seals fighting over a grape,” Tony said, shaking his head. “Probably the worst romantic kiss in history.”

“Really?” Peter asked, sitting up in his chair.

“Yep, and even though it was a disaster and Rhodey was a terrible wing man, it was still the best kiss because it was Pepper,” Tony smiled softly. “Point I’m trying to make kiddo, is not to stress about your first date going badly. Just laugh it off and move on. You never know, it could lead to an even better date next time.”

“I guess so,” Peter gave a small smile. “Thanks Mr. Stark.”

“Any time kiddo,” Tony chuckled. “Just don’t go round telling people that story. I have a reputation to uphold.”

Peter nodded eagerly. “I won’t. Hey, did you know that I went to that expo?”

“What?” Tony said sharply, taking his eyes off the road to stare at Peter.

“Yeah! I had one of those Ironman helmets on and I think one of the robots couldn’t tell the difference, but I thought I blasted it but turns out it was you! You said, ‘good job, kid’ and then you were gone. It was awesome. Oh, hey, we’re here!”

Tony slammed on the breaks, making the car come to a stop with a jolt. A car blared their horn behind them, but Tony waved his hand in the rear-view mirror. Peter was blissfully unaware of the bomb he had just dropped on Tony, undoing his seatbelt and grabbing his backpack off the floor. 

“Thanks Mr. Stark! And thanks for the advice.”

“You got this kiddo,” Tony said distractedly, mind still reeling from the fact that the little kid he had saved all those years ago had been Peter.

“I’ll text you when I’m done! Bye!” Peter said and he was out of the car before Tony could offer any last words of advice.

* * *

Peter waited out the front of the movie theatre, clutching his phone in his hand. He checked his phone again, a picture of DUM-E and Tony filling the screen with the time 6:45 displayed on the front. There was no message from MJ and Peter was starting to get worried. He had texted MJ and said he would wait out the front, but she still hadn’t shown. The movie had started fifteen minutes ago. He had already checked inside the theatre, but MJ hadn’t been there.

Biting his lip, Peter scanned the street.

He hadn’t gotten to see MJ at school, mostly because they had different classes that day, but he had seen her at lunch, and she seemed fine. Mr. Stark hadn’t given him any advice for when his date was running late.

_Should I go in and save them a seat? Was it too late since the movie had started? Maybe they could skip the movie and just go get dinner. That would work._

Peter brain fired off a million possibilities as he rocked back on forth on his heels, still scanning the street and checking his phone. He unlocked his phone and opened up to his string of texts from MJ and fired off another one.

**MJ?**

**Are you running late?**

**It’s cool if you are.**

**I’m still out the front.**

**Hope you’re okay.**

Peter bit his lip as there was no response and sighed. As he waited, his shivered as the cool air seeped into his jacket.

_I should have asked Mr. Stark for more advice. I don’t know how to date. What if I’ve already screwed up?_ Peter sighed internally. _I hope Ned is having better luck than me._

At the clock ticked over to 7:30, Peter swallowed around the lump in his throat. MJ was over an hour late. Had he been stood up? Tears pricked his eyes and he sniffed. A crowd of people were heading into the theatre, getting ready for the next show. With the cuff off his jacket, he wiped his eyes and started walking away from the theatre. He opened his phone one last time and clicked on Tony’s contact, letting the phone ring.

* * *

“What brought this on?” Pepper asked, looking at the food Tony had laid out on the table for her with a curious smile.

Tony didn’t blame her for being suspicious. It wasn’t often that he prepared a meal for her, their jobs too demanding. Taking her hand, Tony steered her to a seat. “Kid had a date and I decided I wanted one too.”

Pepper grinned, shoulder relaxing as she took her chair and sniffed the air. “Lucky me.”

Tony kissed her before taking the seat next to her. “Alright, I got you favourite. I hope.”

“You did,” Pepper smiled at him. It had been too long since the two of them had been able to have a date night and Pepper was going to take full advantage of it. Slipping off her heels, she stood up and watched as Tony’s eyes widened as she settled herself into his lap. “Much better.”

“I agree,” Tony wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her steady. “Hungry?”

“Starving,” Pepper hummed, leaning forward and dragging a box of takeaway closer. “So, what does this date entail?”

“Well, the kid is doing a movie and dinner. I’ve done dinner. What do you say to a movie?”

“I like it. As long as we can sit in the back row and make out,” Pepper grinned.

“I knew there was a reason I loved you,” Tony grinned wolfishly, hand sliding up her thigh as he leaned up to kiss her again.

The moment was interrupted by Tony’s phone ringing and he growled against Pepper’s lips.

“FRIDAY, mute,” Tony mumbled, drawing Pepper into another kiss.

“Boss, it’s Peter calling,” FIRDAY said.

Pepper pulled back with a frown. “Shouldn’t he be in the movie?”

“Yeah, he should,” Tony frowned and answered the call, putting it on speaker. “Kid? Shouldn’t you be fake yawning and putting your arm over MJ’s shoulders?”

“Hi,” Peter sniffed. “Can you come pick me up?”

Tony and Pepper shared a concern look at Peter’s miserable tone. “You okay kid? Is MJ?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t show up,” Peter sniffed again.

Tony winced and Pepper’s face dropped. “I’m on my way kid. Be there soon.”

“Thanks Mr. Stark. Sorry for calling so early,” Peter said, voice sounding sad and broken.

“No worries, Pete. Be there as fast as I can,” Tony said and gently lifted Pepper off his lap as the call ended. “I’m so sorry, Pep.”

“Go,” Pepper urged him. “May’s still at work so just bring him back here. I’ll get us some more food. I take it he will be hungry?”

“He always is,” Tony stood, kissing Pepper’s cheek. “You’re the best. I can’t wait to marry you.”

“You have to ask first,” Pepper laughed.

Tony grinned as he swiped his keys off the bench and pocketed his phone. “Any day now sweetheart.”

“I’m sure,” Pepper humoured him. “Go get the kid.”

* * *

Peter lifted his head when he heard the familiar rumble of Tony’s car. He heaved himself up off the sidewalk he had been sitting on and when Tony stopped the car, he hurried inside. The car was blissfully warm, and he shivered as he did up his seatbelt.

“Hey,” Peter mumbled, embarrassed.

“You okay?” Tony asked, merging back into traffic easily.

“Yeah,” Peter sighed, letting his head fall back on the seat. “I feel stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” Tony assured him gently. “Things happen. Have you heard from her yet?”

“No,” Peter shook his head.

“Maybe something came up,” Tony said lightly. “And she hasn’t been able to call.”

“You think something happened to her?” panic raised in Peter’s chest. What if something had happened to her while Peter had been sulking out the front of the theatre.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Tony was quick to assure her. “Maybe her phone died. Maybe she got the date wrong?”

Peter groaned. “I hate dating. Parker Luck. I’ll never date again.”

“Don’t throw in the towel just yet,” Tony chuckled. “At least talk to her first. I’m told communication is very important to a relationship.”

Peter’s phone started ringing and he gripped it tightly as MJ’s name and picture flashed up onto the screen. “It’s her. What do I do?”

“Uh, you answer it, kiddo. That’s how a phone works,” Tony said.

Peter scowled at the superhero before twisting in his seat to face the window. Hesitantly he answered the call and brought the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“I’m an idiot,” was MJ’s response.

“What? No, you’re not. You’re, like, one of the smartest people I know,” Peter babbled.

“I thought I had sent you a message, but I didn’t. I forgot to hit send. I’m sorry, Peter. I had a dance recital tonight. When you didn’t say anything at lunch about our date, I thought you were cool with us changing it to another night but then I just saw your messages.”

“You…you still wanted to go out?” Peter asked quietly.

“Yeah, loser, I do,” MJ said. There was pause and then with less confidence in her voice than usual she added. “Do you still want to go out again?”

“Yes! Yes, I mean, yeah that would be cool,” Peter cried too loudly. When Tony snorted, Peter reached over and smacked the man’s arm, causing his mentor to yelp.

“Tomorrow? I promise I’ll be there this time,” MJ said.

Peter relaxed into his chair, a giddy smile coming across his face. “Yeah, tomorrow would be cool.”

They hashed out the details and when they hung up, Peter was feeling better about the evening then he had a few minuets ago.

“All sorted out?” Tony asked, pulling into the garage of the Tower.

“Yeah,” Peter grinned. “She forgot to tell me that her dance recital was tonight.”

“Ah,” Tony smirked. “Does that count as Parker Luck?”

“Yeah,” Peter chuckled. “But it worked out.”

“I’m glad,” Tony parked the car and switched off the engine. “Come on, Pepper has dinner waiting for us. I suppose you can crash out date night.”

“Mr. Stark! Does this mean I can be your wing man tonight?” Peter asked, bounding out of the car, his usual energy having returned.

“Eh, why not,” Tony shrugged. “What the hell, want to help me propose to Pepper tonight?”

“Wait, seriously? Mr. Stark! Are you being serious?” Peter yelped as he hurried after Tony to the elevator.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy reading :)


End file.
